Accounts Receivable Team Lead

About the role

Encore Fire Protection is seeking an experienced Accounts Receivable Team Lead to supervise and develop a team of Collections Specialists in a high-volume, multi-location environment.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach a team of Collections Specialists (daily prioritization, performance management, training, and development).
• Provide daily guidance on work procedures, technical issues, prioritization, and customer interactions; set clear expectations and remove blockers.
• Assess training needs and develop/maintain training materials, job aids, and playbooks; ensure team members are equipped for their roles and cross-trained where appropriate.
• Serve as an escalation point for business units on high-impact issues affecting payment (billing errors, disputes, customer service breakdowns) and drive timely resolution.
• Drive consistent collections execution across assigned portfolios, using data-driven strategies that reduce DSO and minimize bad debt while preserving customer relationships.
• Leverage Esker to manage workflows (dunning, dispute tracking, activity logging, approvals/escalations) and ensure the team consistently uses the tool as the system-of-record.
• Own and improve dispute resolution processes in partnership with Billing, and Sales—establish clear ownership, aging visibility, and escalation paths.
• Monitor team KPIs (e.g., DSO, % current, promise-to-pay accuracy, disputes opened/closed, contact attempts, collector productivity) and communicate results to leadership.
• Review and approve collection strategies for high-risk accounts; manage escalations and support negotiation of payment plans when needed.
• Support month-end close activities related to AR (aging review, reserves input, unapplied cash/credit balances, write-off packages, and reporting).
• Identify and implement process improvements to scale the AR function during periods of growth and acquisition integration (standardization, documentation, controls, and training).
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders on transformation initiatives (systems/process changes, customer master data quality, billing accuracy, and customer onboarding).
• Ensure adherence to internal controls, policies, and customer-specific billing/collections requirements.

Requirements

• Four+ years of progressive AR/collections experience in a high-volume B2B environment, including experience with large or complex organizations with revenues >$500 million.
• Two+ years of direct supervisory experience (required), including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance feedback, and accountability for results.
• Firsthand experience with Esker (required) or strong experience with comparable AR automation/workflow platforms (e.g., HighRadius, Sidetrade, Billtrust).
• Demonstrated ability to lead through change in a transformation environment (process redesign, scaling Encore, standardization across multiple locations/entities).
• Experience in field services, construction services, fire protection, or other project-based billing environments.
• Experience supporting multi-entity / multi-location Encore and M&A integrations related to AR.
• Experience with ERP/accounting systems and integrations that touch AR (e.g., Sage 300 CRE, Oracle, NetSuite or similar).
• Ability to manage priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.

Skills

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Benefits

About At Encore, we’re all about creating a culture where success is celebrated. We recognize that our work makes people’s lives safer, and we reward those who contribute to our growth.

Pay

Competitive Salary : Compensation commensurate with your experience, with the opportunity to earn performance-based bonuses tied to your personal effectiveness and contributions to the team.

Schedule

Flexible Dress Code : Upon joining, you’ll receive branded Encore swag, and we believe in dressing for the objective, not the occasion. Most days, you can enjoy a casual work environment, but we’ll dress up when the situation calls for it.